Combined gas moving and gas cleaning apparatus



S. G. SYLVAN Oct. 22, 1968 COMBINED GAS MOVING AND GAS CLEANINGAPPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1966 Fl m a INVENTOR.

s'rls e. SYLVAN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,406,504 COMBINED GAS MOVING AND GAS CLEANINGAPPARATUS Stig G. Sylvan, Louisville, Ky., assignor to American AirFilter Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware FiledDec. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 601,491 8 Claims. (Cl. 55-408) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A gas moving and gas cleaning apparatus which includes aflow-through housing having disposed therein spaced alignment an axialflow fan means and a particulate separating louver means with the bladesof the fan means and louver means being inclined in the same directionto provide both gas movement and gas cleaning with maximum particulateseparation and minimum flow energy loss.

Background of the invention The invention pertains to the gas movementand centrifugal gas separation art and finds particular utility in fanand gas turbine arrangements.

Although a number of gas moving devices are known in the art whichinclude particulate separating means in combination therewith, thesedevices have been comparatively complex, have been expensive inconstruction and maintenance, have required substantial amounts of powerto operate, and have resulted in high energy losses.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the present invention a new,useful, and unobvious combination of gas moving and gas cleaningapparatus is provided which is straightforward and economical inconstruction, which is simple to maintain, and which requirescomparatively little power to operate, providing maximum particulateseparation with minimum flow energy loss.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious toone skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forthhereinafter.

More particularly, the present invention provides a combined gas movingand gas cleaning apparatus comprising: a flow-through housing havingspaced and aligned dirty gas inlet means and clean gas outlet means; anaxial flow fan disposed within the housing adjacent to and transversethe dirty gas inlet means to move a dirty gas stream through thehousing, the fan having inclined impeller means which imparts adirectional tangential velocity component to the gas stream movedthereby; particulate separating louver means disposed within the housingdownstream of the axial flow fan, the louver means having spaced louverblades inclined in the same direction as the impeller means of the axialfan to impart a counter-directional turn to the tangential velocitycomponent of the gas stream emanating from the impeller means of theaxial fan, thereby centrifuging particulate materials from the gasstream along the upstream side of the louver means to cause theparticulate materials to be moved to the inner periphery of the housing;and particulate collector means disposed along the periphery of thehousing intermediate the axial fan means and the louver means to collectthe particulate materials separated by the louver means.

It is to be understood that various changes can be made in thearrangement, form, and construction of the 3,406,504 Patented Oct. 22,1968 apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the scope orspirit of the present invention.

Brief description of the drawing Referring to the drawing whichdiscloses one advantageous embodiment of the present invention and autilization of one form thereof in combination with a gas turbinearrangement:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a section of the novel gas moving andcleaning apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a sectionally broken-away front end view of the apparatus ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged schematic view of the blade arrangement of theapparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vector diagram showing the relative angle between theapproaching gas stream and the louver and the relative angle between theexiting gas stream and the louver; and p FIGURE 5 is an elevational viewof a portion of a section of the novel apparatus wherein a centrifugalirnpeller of a compressor is utilized downstream the louver.

Description of preferred embodiments Referring to the drawing, there isdisclosed flowthrough cylindrical housing 2 having spaced and aligneddirty gas inlet 3 and clean gas outlet 4. Disposed within housing 2adjacent dirty gas inlet 3 to extend transversely across the dirty gasinlet is rotatable axial fiow fan 6. fan 6 is a particulate separatinglouver plate 8. Louver radially extending blades 7 which are inclined ata preselected angle with respect to the plane of rotation of fan 6 in asuitable fashion to move a gas stream through housing 2. Positionedwithin housing 2 downstream fan 6 in spaced, axial relationshiptherewith and extending in a plane substantially parallel to the planeof rotation of fan 6 is a particulate separating louver plate 8. Louverplate 8 can advantageously be in circular form with radi ally extendinglouver blades 9 stamped therefrom in a select pattern, the plate 8having its peripheral edges fixed to the inner peripheral wall ofhousing 2 with blades 9 of the louver plate arranged in a circularpattern on the plate. An annular slot 10 is provided along the innerperipheral wall of housing 2 upstream louver plate 8 so as to be locatedintermediate fan 6 and the louver plate. Slot 10 communicates withperipheral particulate discharge chamber 11 disposed in housing 2 tosurround the gas moving and gas separation apparatus describedhereinafter. Chamber 11 is provided with communicating discharge outletchute 12 for removal of particulate materials from the chamber. Alsodisposed in housing 2 downstream louver plate 8 in spaced, alignedrelationship therewith and extending in a plane substantially parallelto the plane of rotation, of fan 6 is a second axial flow fan 13. Asshown in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawing, axial flow fan 13 is providedwith spaced, radially extending impeller blades 14 which are inclined ina manner hereinafter described to move the gas stream in a preselectedmanner after it emanates from the louver plate 8.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, it can be seen that axial flowfans 6 and 13 are driven from the same shaft 16, the shaft extendingthrough a suitably disposed aperture in the louver plate 8 and beingmounted on support bearings 17 suitably fixed to housing 2 in a mannernot fully disclosed. A drive wheel 18 is provided at one end of shaft 16downstream of axial flow fan 13, and a suitable drive motor and beltassembly (not shown) can be connected to the drive wheel to rotate thetwo axial flow fans in the same direction at a desired preselected speed(FIGURE 3).

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing, it can be seen that blades9 of louver plate 8 advantageously are inclined with respect to theplane determining such plate 8 in the same direction and substantiallythe same degree as blades 7 of axial fan 6 are inclined with respect tothe plane of rotation 'of such fan 6; It further can be'seen that blades14 of axial fan 13 advantageously also are inclined with respect to theplane of rotation of such fan 13; in the same direction andsubstantially the same preselected degree as blades 7 of fan '6 andblades 9 of louver plate 8, respectively are inclined withrespect totheir planes, the inclination of louver blades 9 inthe' same directionand at substantiallythe same preselected angle as fan blades 7 inclinedatap'reselected angle with respect to the plane of rotation of saidfanto and; the rotation of fan 6 serving to impart a counter-directionalturn to the tangential velocity component TV of the gas stream emanatingfrom blades '7. As a result, the particulate materials from the gasstream moved by fan 6 are centrifuged along the upstream side of louverplate 8 to the thhe same as blades 7 and 9 and the direction of rotationof fans 6 and 13 are the same, a further directional turn is imparted tothe tangential velocity component TV of the gas stream, converting theenergy thereof into a high pressure axial flow gas stream with a minimumof energy loss. It is to be understood that the apparatus aforedescribedcan be utilized in various situations requiring both gas movement andgas cleaning operations. For example, it can be utilized as is in anaxial flow gas turbine arrangement or modified for a gas turbine havinga centrifugal compressor.

Referring to FIGURE 5 of the drawing, the novel invention is shownincorporated as part of a centrifugal arrangement, 'such arrangementincluding spaced and aligned axial flow fan 21, louvered plate 22, andcompressor impeller 23 of the gas turbine. In a manner similar to thataforedescribed, the blades of fan 21, plate 22, and impeller 23 areinclined substantially in the same direction and substantially the sameangle with respect to each other, but with the blades of compressorimpeller 23 being sloped downstream to convert axial flow intocentrifugal flow as disclosed by the flow arrows.

From the foregoing description, it can be readily seen that the combinedgas moving and gas separation apparatus of the present inventionoperates in a simple, straightforward manner to provide maximumparticulate separation with minimum energy loss.

The invention claimed is:

1. A combined gas moving and gas cleaning apparatus comprising: aflow-through housing having spaced and aligned dirty gas inlet means andclean gas outlet means; a rotatable axial fiow fan disposed within saidhousing adjacent to and transverse said dirty gas inlet means to move adirty gas stream through said housing, said fan having impeller meansinclined at a preselected angle with respect to the plane of rotation ofsaid fan to impart a directional tangential velocity component to saidgas stream moved thereby; means to rotate said flow fan particulateseparating louver means disposed within said housing downstream saidaxial flow fan and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane ofrotation of said fan, said louver means having spaced louverbladesinclined in the same direction as said impeller means of saidaxial fan at a preselected angle with respect to its plane substantiallyequal to the ,angle, said impeller means is inclined to its plane ofrotation, 'saidaxial .flow fan being mounted for rotation in such adirection-that said inclined louver means serves to impart a1'counterdirectiona1,turn to the tangential velocity component of the gasxstreamemanating from said impeller means of said axialfan thereby centrifugingparticulate materials from said gas stream along the upstream side ofsaid lower means to cause said particulate materials to be moved to theperiphery of said housing; and particulate collector means disposedalongrthe periphery of said housing intermediate said axial fan and saidlouver means to collect the particulate materials separated by saidlouver means, said collector means having an inlet slot for receivingsaid particulate'materials. v n i 2. The apparatus of claim 1, saidlouver means being stationarily mounted in said housing. 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, and means to convert the turned tangentialvelocity component of said gas stream imparted by said louver means intoa high energy flow gas stream.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, said means comprising a second rotatablefandisposed Within said housing downstream of said louver means andhaving a plane of rotation substantially parallel to the planedetermining said louver means, said second fan having impeller bladesinclined with respect to the plane of rotation thereof at leaston theupstream portion thereof in the same direction and at substantially thesame preselected angle as said spaced louvers of said louver means areinclined to its plane and being rotatable in a direction to impart adirectional turn to the tangential velocity component of said gas streamconverting the energy thereof into a high pressure axial flow gas streamand means to rotate saidsecond fan.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said second fan comprising a compressor ofa gas turbine engine.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, said second fan comprising an axial flowfan.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, said second fan comprising a centrifugalflow fan.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, said first and second fans having a commonpower means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,794,447 3/ 1931 Bothezat 554732,021,437 11/1935 Walsh 55-471 2,031,734 2/ 1936 Riebel et a1 554082,482,642 9/1949 Sylvan 55-408 3,058,720 10/1962 Hart et a1. 554083,309,867 3/1967 Ehrich 55306 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,918 1902 Great Britain.449,765 6/ 1936 Great Britain. 538,038 3/1957 Canada.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner. B. NOZICK, Assistant Examiner.

US. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20231 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.. 3 ,406 ,504October 22 1968 St ig G. Sylvan It is certified that error appears inthe above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 30, "fan 6 is a particulate separating louver plate 8.Louver" should read Fan 6 is provided with an impeller in the form ofspaced,

Signed and sealed this 24th day of February 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR.

